Let’s face it, us guys run out of ideas pretty darn quickly for things to get the females in our lives. Birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, graduations… the few good ideas we had are long gone by now or way out of our price range. I’m the same way, but I’ve always been considered a “good gift giver” and Zelda Zen has really helped develop that reputation.
When my mom or sister see that signature Zelda Zen brown gift bag with a colored ribbon, I immediately get the, “oooooh I know where this is from.” And after the gift is opened, I often get more credit than I deserve for getting them such a great gift. Finding the right gift is not about being a great mind reader, it’s about knowing the best places to go (and getting help from people who know a lot more than you do!) Zelda Zen is a great place to go and store owner Beth and her staff are extremely helpful.
Located on East Cross St., Zelda Zen is what I would describe as a boutique… I think? Zelda Zen has a lot of costume jewelry with a ton of affordable necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pins, rings and more. If you go in there with $30 you can find something really nice. Of course, you could spend hundreds of dollars too if you feel inclined to do so. If you find a nice set of earrings, Beth will help you find a great complimentary piece, or many times they’ll be sitting right next to each other.
Zelda Zen also has some of the coolest Baltimore-oriented things I’ve ever seen. Beth has great relationships with local artists that create some of the most unique things for Charm City fans. This includes tile coasters with some of Federal Hill and Baltimore’s most iconic bars and views printed on them, as well as terrific water color prints by Maggie Stewart. The prints also come as gift cards and are about $5 each. Here’s a great idea we did – buy a bunch of the cards, frame them and make an awesome Baltimore collage (OK, I’ll stop pretending to be Sabrina Soto now.) Magnets made of bottle caps printed with local flavor can also be found at Zelda Zen.
They also sell other great gifts including fashion accessories and essentials for the Baltimore or Chesapeake area kitchen. They have great cutting boards and serving dishes with crabs on them, decorative glass blown crabs and clocks with great local designs. The shelves are also stocked with candles and soap stones to keep your house always smelling its best.
I’ve been going to Zelda Zen for a long time and it’s a great asset to the heart of Federal Hill Main Street. Whether you looking to accessorize, need some great decorations for your Baltimore house (or the house you wish was in Baltimore) or are just a clueless shopper like myself, you have to stop in and take a look. Chances are you’ll walk away with something you love or something that will make someone else smile!
